ARIZONA STATE FOOTBALL
ASU’s Herm Edwards among college head coaches on hot seat in CBS ranking
The 2022 football season will be an ambiguous one for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Following a mass exodus of players via the transfer portal to go along with an ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations, head coach Herm Edwards and Co. have their work cut out for them when it comes to fielding a competitive roster in the Pac-12 this season.
CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd has Edwards on his list of college head coaches on the hot seat going into the 2022 campaign.
It’s safe to say the NFL model experiment by athletic director Ray Anderson was just that — an experiment. Edwards is 25-18 as CEO-coach, not bad but not good when combined with a languishing NCAA investigation over prospects reportedly brought in during the COVID-19 dead period. President Michael Crow has backed Edwards, instead blaming departed assistants for the alleged wrongdoing. In the wake, several players transferred. This season has the look of Edwards’ last. At 68, he isn’t going to be around for whatever the realignment future holds. The school would have been wise to take a postseason ban to start the rebuild.
Dodd’s list has five tiers, with tier No. 5 meaning “win or be fired” and tier No. 4 meaning “start improving now.”
Edwards was listed in the No. 4 tier going into the 2021 campaign in which ASU finished 8-4 in the regular season before falling to Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Former NFL head coach Brian Billick was brought in this offseason as an offensive analyst and advisor to the head coach in what will be Edwards’ fifth season at the helm, while Glenn Thomas was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach following the resignation of former OC Zak Hill.
Donnie Henderson was also promoted from defensive backs coach to the team’s new defensive coordinator in February after former associate head coach, DC and recruiting coordinator Antonio Pierce resigned and joined the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff as their linebackers coach.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Sun Devils’ over/under for wins this upcoming season at 5.5.
